Rheostat.



HERBERT W. CHRISTIAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RHEOSTAT.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application led June 17, 1918. Serial No. 240,353.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. CHRIS- TIAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of vWayne andState of Michi an, have invented certain new and useil Improvements inRheostats, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad there'- in to the accompanying drawings.

In my pending application for patent filed Feb. 12, 1918, Serial No.216,707 for a combined curling iron and hot water bottle heater, thereis disclosed a simple form of rheostat that may be safely handled'forregulating the current to the heating element or unit, when used eitherin connection with the curling iron or a water bottle. It is through themedium of the rheostat that the curling iron or contents of a bottle maybe kept at a ldesired temperature, while the iron or bottle is in use,and the present invention aims to simplify the construction of therheostat and provide a more efficient device. l

My present invention will be hereinafter described and then claimed, andreference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of the rheostat;

F ig. 2 is a cross sectional view same;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the rheostat, showing the same in connection with asuitable source of electrical energy and a heating element or unit, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View showing the electrical wiring inconnection with the rheostat.

The rheostat comprises heads 12 and 13, preferably and connected to'said heads are tie rods 1'4 and 15, and a contact holder 16, preferablymade of fiber or other suitable insulation material. On the tie rod 15is a core 17 and about said core is a resistance coil 18 having lead-outwires 19 to contacts 20, carried by the insulated holder 16. Theresistance coil is connected by a wire 21 to a binding post 22 on thehead 12 and said binding post is connected to one of the wires of acable 3.

Slidable on the tire rod 14 is aguide sleeve 23 provided with aresilient contact member 24 that normally rests on the .contact holder`16 and may be shifted over the contacts 20 to cut in and out resistance.The opposite end of the member 24 is proofv the two circular made offiber,

vided with a nger piece 25, which is insulated from the contact member24. The finger piece 25 extends through a longitudinal slot 26 providedtherefor in the wall of a cylindrical casing 27 mounted on the heads 12and 13. A wall of the slot 26 is notched as at 28 and the resiliency'ofthe member 24 is suiiicient to maintain the finger piece 25 infrictional engagement with the notched wall or in one of the notches 28,thus preventing 'the contact member 24 from accidentally shifting in thecasing 27.

The cylindrical casing 27 is provided with caps 30 having insulators 31through which the cable 3 extends, said cable having one of the wiresthereof extending through notches 33 in the heads 12 and 13, and anothercable is connected to the end of the rod 14, as at 32.

he cylindrical casing 27 is provided with a plurality of openings 34 toprevent over-heating, and said casing may be provided with suitableindicia, somewhat as shown in Fig. 4, to indicate the degree ofresistance.

One end of the cable 3 may be connected to an ordinary electric lightsocket 4, and the opposite end of said cable may be connected to anelectric heating element or unit 5 having a screw socket 7, so that maybe detachably mounted in the neck o a water bottle 6.

As shown in Fig. 4, the tie rod 14 is made of sufcient length so thatthe contact member 24 may be shifted to one end thereof to completelybreak the electric circuit to the heating element or unit, or may beshifted into engagement with either of the contacts 20 to obtain adesired degree of resistance.

lVhat I claim is 1. A rheostat comprising heads, a resistance supportedbetween said heads, a contact holder between said heads and providedwith contacts connected to said resistance, a tic rod connecting saidheads, a casing on said heads provided with a. longitudinal slot, and aresilient contact member slidable on said tie rod and having one endthereof adapted for engagement with the contacts of said conta-ctholder, and the opposite end thereof extending through the slot of saidcasing.

2. A rheostat comprising heads, a resistance between said heads, aplurality of contacts between said heads in circuit with saidresistance, a resilientA contact member slidi0' said tie rods, aresilient able between said heads having one end thereof adaptedfor-engagement with said contacts, a casing on said head provided With aslot, and a nger piece carried by said contact member and extendingthrough the slot of said casing and adapted to be held by a Wall of saidslot.

3. A rheostat comprising heads, tie rods connecting said heads, aresistance on one of contact member on the other of said tie rods, acontact holder connecting said heads and 4provided ywith a plurality ofcontacts in vcircuit with said resistance, a casing on said heads,andmeans vextending through a Wall of said casing adapted for adjustingsaid Contact member. ln testimony whereof I aiix my signature in thepresence of tWo Witnesses. l

HERBERT W. CHRISTIAN. Witnesses:

ANNA M. Doma, CHAS. W; STAUFFIGER.

